DO ECOLOGICAL OR INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS MEDIATE THE INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICAL-ENVIRONMENT UPON MATERNAL-BEHAVIOR

Relations between physical and social micro-environments of the child, and between micro-environmental and ecological and parental characteristics were investigated. Six observations were made, assessing the physical and social aspects of the home environments of 35 12-month old infants. Mothers filled out questionnaires assessing a variety of ecological and personal characteristics, including social support, stress and child rearing beliefs. Replicating previous findings, higher levels of crowding and traffic pattern in the home were associated with lower levels of involvement, verbal stimulation, responsivity and giving or demonstrating objects to the child. Higher levels of satisfaction with social support and specific child rearing beliefs were related to greater responsivity to the child. The majority of correlations between the physical and social micro-environments of the child remained significant even after partialling out specific ecological or individual maternal characteristics. Implications of these findings for understanding the nature of environmental influences upon development were discussed. © 1991 Academic Press Limited.